By Riaz Wani
Political reactions emerged in Jammu and Kashmir after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remarks on the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the subsequent police action against protesters in the Valley.
The comments drew criticism from National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Waheed Ur Rehman Parra.
Abdullah had chaired a meeting of civil society members earlier this week and appealed for communal harmony following protests in Kashmir.
Reacting to the meeting, Ruhullah questioned the chief minister’s approach in a post on X.
“When and how was the communal harmony disturbed by the mourners which forced the assembly of this ‘group’ to call for communal harmony. What message is he trying to send? Whose point is he asserting and advocating? Is he trying to become an instrument of the establishment to justify their unjustifiable actions?” Ruhullah said.
He also demanded the release of people detained after the protests.
“The only call that he and this ‘group’ should have made was to ask for the immediate release of our youth and unconditional withdrawal of FIRs against them. Who does he represent? I thought we elected a representative for us who would stand for us against all odds,” he added.
Meanwhile, police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Ruhullah for allegedly “creating fear, disturbing public order, and inciting unlawful activities”. No National Conference leader has publicly commented on the FIR so far.
PDP leader Parra also criticised Abdullah, accusing the ruling party of failing to clearly condemn the strikes.
“Mr. Abdullah and his party leadership avoided issuing a strong condemnation of the strikes. Why hasn’t the government passed a formal resolution through the Cabinet if it intended to take a clear stand on the issue. Silence on such issues raised questions,” Parra said.
Separately, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said the Centre should describe the U.S. attack on Iran as a “wrong step”.
“Such actions by the U.S. could destabilize the region and impact the entire world. The Indian government should be giving a statement on this. New Delhi must present its official stance on the escalating tensions,” he said.
Farooq Abdullah also warned that the ongoing tensions could potentially trigger a wider global conflict if not handled carefully.
